The Games We Play: 5/?
by SeaSprite
Summary: Enzo's eye is now being repaired. What will become of the two small Sprites?


Author's Notes: A special thanks needs to go to Lady Sita for checking back over the new chapters to the fic. I hope she'll continue, because I feel this is the best chapter I've written yet.

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"Here we are!"

"Pixelacious," exclaimed AndrAIa. Before the two Sprites was an entrance to the biggest mall that this system had to offer. All around them were the sounds of teenage Sprites, and grown males whining as much as their own children; begging to leave. Sandra smiled as she looked around at the stores; "Let's go do something."

"What is in here?"

"Don't you have a mall, or some type of store where you come from?"

"No, I just came to these...systems..." AndrAIa paused, trying to think of the right things to tell, and hide. "I came from a game. I am a Game Sprite."

"You are? That's awesome!" AndrAIa giggled happily, delighted that her new friend liked her. Sandra grinned, "Where do you want to go first?" AndrAIa shrugged, and quickly asked, "Do you think Enzo is okay?" Sandra nodded her head, "I never even got to meet your friend, but you two managed to get this far, and my mom is the best nurse of the system. We will all do our best to help your friend. Don't worry, he'll be fine. Everything will be great. You and Enzo will have a great time here, at your new home." AndrAIa's jaw dropped. "Home? What do you mean by a home? We are not staying here."

"Of course you are. Where else would you stay? How?" The small Game Sprite became frustrated; "You just do not get it! We are lost! Mainframe will be destroyed if we do not get back," she calmed a bit as a crowd found this small uproar from her an attraction for stares, "We cannot stay."

Sandra looked at AndrAIa. She looked as though she was desperate, in need of help. The teen Sprite looked about her, among them was a crowd of people. They had decided seeing this little "show" that was being put on was worth more going in and out of the hundreds of stores located in the mall. Sandra glared, angrily at the Sprites around them, taking hold of AndrAIa's hand she dragged her to a bench that was hidden in one of the mall's food courts.

"Now, we aren't going anywhere until you tell me what is going on."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Enzo's good eye fluttered open; in his right eye, there was nothing, just deadness. He carefully turned his head towards the only window in the hospital room. It was just a small window located at the top of the door to his temporary quarters. Looking beyond the grayish tinted glass he saw doctors and nurses scrambling past it, running patients into emergency rooms, and washing their hands at large, metal sinks. He turned his head back where he could continue to stare at the plain ceiling above him. He thought, There are more Sprites here. They may have a link back to Mainframe.

Corel whom had noticed he was awake soon interrupted his thoughts. "How are you feeling, Guardian?" Enzo turned back to where her voice was coming from. His only brow showing furrowed, "What did you do to me?" Enzo winced as pain rushed over his weak body. "Careful. We fixed your eye. Within a few cycles you will be able to see out of your now injured eye twice as well as your regular eye. I had the best treatment we could give you. I feel it will come in handy as you grow."

"How? Why?"

"We did some research on you. You're a cadet. What are you doing away from the Super Computer? Come to think of it, your record shows that you have been in only one system your whole life."

"It's a long story," said Enzo.

"Well, you have plenty of time to tell me what happened, and how you ended up here...then, I will answer some of your questions."

"Mainframe had a certified Guardian in its system. 452. That would be the same code I have. When Web creatures infested our system, our Guardian gave me part of his code in case something was to happen." Enzo stopped and to a deep breath. "Something did happen to him. Then, I was left as the system's only hope. I lost a game, and that was the last thing that happened."

"So you never went to the academy?" Enzo shook his head slowly. Corel sat down in an old hospital chair that was by his bed. "Now, to answer your questions..." Enzo thought, "What will this do? The eye?"

"It is referred to as a cybernetic tracking device. We molded it to fit with your size, and to upgrade when you upgrade. What it can do...well, almost anything in the line of game playing, which I figured you would want, considering you will probably want to go back into the games. It can track things, see through certain walls and materials, and it is connected to something else. You will find out what... later." With that, Corel stood up. "I have some work I still need to do. If you will excuse me." Enzo nodded. "Okay, then, get some sleep. I'll check on you periodically, but if you need anything press the button on the side of your bed's rail." She motioned her hand towards a small orange button. "'Night, Enzo," said Corel as she closed the door to his room. "'Night," whispered Enzo hoarsely. He then closed the one eye that was not bandaged, and prepared himself for the night of restless sleep. A night filled with nightmares.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Corel pushed open her door, tired. She smiled as she heard the laughter of children spread throughout her house. Walking into the kitchen she saw her own children and the Game Sprite which she never had the chance to talk to really, playing a card game. "One card," said AndrAIa smugly. Corel laughed at her children. "I can guess who is winning this game."

AndrAIa took her "King" card and placed it along side of the others that were fanned out into her hand. Nodding approvingly she said, "I'll see your two pixie sticks, and raise you five." Sandra eyed her pair of two's, and sighed. "I fold." AndrAIa smirked, and turned towards Zoom, whom she had found was quite a pill to stand. Zoom looked down at his cards, and then he frowned at his sister. "Sissy, what do I do?" Sandra peered at her younger brother's hand, then back at the Sprite across from her who looked quite smug at this point. "You fold, honey." Zoom placed his cards back unto the table, and pouted.

Soon, AndrAIa was in a fit of giggles and laughter. Placing her cards face-up on the table she held her breath, to discontinue any further laughter. Looking back at her hand made of a King, a two, an Ace, a five, and a ten she allowed the laughter to engulf her once more. "I win!" Sandra looked at the cards that lay on the table, astonished. "You were bluffing?" AndrAIa held in a giggle and nodded excitedly. "And I thought you were nice..."

Zoom found this appalling, being his first game and someone had already cheated him out, or so he thought. Crossing his arms, and grunting he grabbed a pixie stick and left the room. The three Sprites left in the kitchen shook their heads at the moody little boy. Corel turned back to the present and asked the two girl Sprites if they had eaten. Sandra answered. "Yeah, Dad fixed all of us something to eat."

"Oh," said Corel, knowing very well how her significant other's cooking was.

"I'll fix both of you something right now."

"Thanks," came the uncanny echo of the two.

After they had all had some real food Sandra left the kitchen to go to bed. Kissing her mom on the cheek she moved to the wide kitchen doorway. She flicked the light switch a couple of times just to get her mom in a dither. "Sandra!" Smiling, glad to know that her mom wasn't totally caught up in another world, the world of a work life. She traveled down the long hall to her bedroom.

End Part Five (Sea_Sprite@writeme.com)


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